The Pax Cinemana: Film and the Pursuit of Peace, 1914-1939

Abstract

Between 1914 and 1939, the role of film in fostering international peace and understanding was a mainstream discussion within all facets of film production and exhibition. Of course, utopian ideals have always surrounded film and new technologies. As a result of the unprecedented violence that characterized World War I, however, the enthusiasm for cinema’s ability to prevent another global catastrophe proved exceptional. Idealist filmmakers in the United States and Europe not only reflected on their liberal ideology, but also developed a loose infrastructure to support their lofty ambitions. Though many historians have long dismissed the peace efforts of the interwar period as little more than naïve activism, this study argues that cinema made tangible contributions to international business, law, education, and organization. These ambitions have received little scholarly attention to date. Though there is a large body of work that examines film’s critical role in war efforts, few scholars have tackled its significance to peace movements. Consequently, this dissertation traces the development of “peacekeeping cinema,” an international initiative that encouraged the making of motion pictures as a means to generate empathy between divergent societies. The ability to see the lived experiences of “other” peoples, supporters insisted, would help remediate the effects of World War I and prevent global conflict. By surveying the peacekeeping activities of diverse filmmakers and organizations, this dissertation articulates how communities in the United States and Europe interpreted peace and it attempts to shed new light on the relationship between film and diplomacy.